Daisy's USA blog!

Binge-drunk? Not enough!!!

2008-01-15T00:28:47Z

The British are the fattest, least-educated, most villainous brutes in the history of like, countries and stuff. Teenage pregnancies, heroin addiction, prison overcrowding - we win!

But we only came third at binge-drinking, behind Finland and bibulous Ireland. Boo!

But we made glow-in-the-dark bunnies. Woo!

Well technically it was France but I think we all know those cheese-eating surrender-monkies aren't capable of, like science and stuff. They stole it from us. Innit.

Good Ole Blighty

2008-01-15T00:26:18Z

Many people have been asking me what England is like. To which I mumble random adjectives, sporting activities and branded products until they leave me alone: "Um... Rainy? Cricket? Jaffa Cakes? (Etc...)" Because its not always easy to describe a whole country in a few words.

So how do you sum up Good Ole Blighty? A master shows us how its done! Like this:

"Well, erm, hmm, its alright. We've got understatement. We have strong prevailing South Westerly winds. 52% of our days are overcast, so as a nation we're infused with a wistful melancholy. But we remain a relentlessly chipper population, prone to mild eccentricity, binge drinking and casual violence.

Thanks Bill Bailey! (He is a British comic. He does his own stand-up and also starred in Black Books. To see Black Books, click here. Oh, I was about to mention tv-links.co.uk but apparantly the site was raided on Friday. Well that sucks. OK try clicking here then.)

Christmas Is Awesome!

2007-12-29T18:59:58Z

My parents booked a week at a holiday home in Yorkshire, so I was without phone and internet for a week, trapped in a glorified barn with my mum, dad, sister, brother and granny. This was blatantly a ticking pipebomb of a family getaway, and the first explosion didn't occur long after we'd got out of the car. Still, it was quite nice not to do anything for a week. I ate loads, got some great presents, and was merry. As is expected of me in the yuletime season. I got some perfume called Daisy from my parents. I love stuff that has my name. I still want to see some of my English friends before they all bugger off back to their respective universities. How was everyone's Christmas? Awesome? And if not, have a great New Years! I have no idea what I'm gonna be doing for mine. Fun stuff I hope!

I'M HOME!!!

2007-12-20T22:43:07Z

Thank fucking grief I'm back home, America is the suckiest country in the universe and England rules. I heart red phone booths. Shops that you can walk to. The fish 'n' chip shop. Pubs, with black wooden beams exposed and glass or metal tankards hanging on the walls. Christmas street lights that hang above your head in the highstreets. Primark. Topshop... Not that I think I can ever buy anything from Topshop again. £60 for a hat?!? That's 120 dollars! England is so great. The keyboards have all the keys in the right places and hardly any of the restaurants are chains. Plugs are better and safer. There's less disgusting junk food. My mum's cooking. Fucking everything. Awesome.

golden compass punk

2007-12-09T09:37:26Z

Went to see The Golden Compass film, dressed as some kind've punk. Think it looked better in real life.

Golden Compass = awesome film! Actually did the book justice. I was very impressed. I loved the book and I was really excited to see the film, and I was not dissapointed in any way. Yay!

Back to outfits. I like this person's outfit very much!

In other news, the fags are mounting up by the library. Make you want to quit? Good.

This is Whitney, the building where I live. I reside on the third and final floor. Much like Waveney, it was built in the 60s, has no mod cons and will be knocked down next year.

This is some snow, when it was snowing.

This is Dickinson dining hall.

This is the object. Its a sculpture near my building. You're not supposed to climb it. But we do.

OK. Enough snowy pictures. Bye!

honey bun sundae anybody?

2007-12-08T21:28:32Z

I went to another hardcore show with Ryan and friends. We always end up seeing a mish-mash of bands I've never eard of or have already seen at a hardcore show with Ryan. Some girl sold me a tshirt for $5 because she says she never wears it. I was happy with that! 2.50 gbp (anyone got the pounds symbol on their keyboard?) for a tshirt with skulls on, and besides, I don't have much clothing out here. I'll have to go get some more from home when I go back for christmas. I'm trying not to buy much new stuff, since I don't need it and I owe my parents money (eep!). I love christmas!!! So much!!! So anyway, the show, then we went to some weird american diner and had honey bun sundaes. Its like a lardy cake fried and then it has ice cream and syrup. I think I was able to actualy taste the calories as they began filling my veins with gunk. And it felt good. XD

Happy Birthday to me! I am 21!

2007-12-03T07:45:03Z

I had my 21st Birthday! It was awesome. The day before I went to my friend Ben's house, where he was hosting someone else's birthday, someone called Devin who had turned 19. It was fun!

This is me and some peeps from the party: Hal, Sarah, Stephanie and me.

I found some vegetables at the party! Having been deprived of any natural vitamin source for some time, I leapt upon them with gusto! This is me ecstatically consuming a pepper. Shmexy, as my good friend Sam would say. Oh dear, my green is fading!

Some of my other friends got completely smashed.

Gordon now knows the dangers of drink-biking.

Then at 12pm it turned my birthday! Me and my friends left a few hours later to hit the bars. We went to the Rat which was a sketchy meatmarket, but I heard the song 'Superman That Ho' by the infamous Soulja Boi, and was given beads by this guy Fellipe who lives opposite me in my hall, and I saw some people I knew and danced with the girls, so that was nice. A big thankyou to Hannah for letting me borrow her make-up. By this stage in the evening, I don't think anything could've saved me.

One swift exit later, I'm in the Mad Moose and they have a live band playing some darn good covers. I enjoy a tasty beverage or two, and then we move on to Pepe's, which is this great little fast food place, run by a man who looks like Nintendo's Mario. I have a small snackeral, then its off to bed! The next day, me and the collective go to Applebees to eat some damn fine food. I had this delicious shrimp salad thing again and some mini cheese burgeres and 2 drinks; a mochatini and some sangria with fruit in it. And I had a coffee-dessert drink thing at the end. I was stuffed! I loved it. The others even paid for it, which was rather delightful! Then I went back to campus and watched Star Trek and drank hot coco and played Mariocart, wearing the necklace Mckenna got me. So many special experiences, and so well timed! ;D In the morning I woke up, and it was snowing, and it got to about a foot of snow. It snowed on my birthday! I was very excited.

All in all, top-notch! Best 21st Birthday ever. All future 21st Birthdays will struggle to compare. Plus involve some time-travelling or de-aging device. Since I'll never have another 21st Birthday, unless its someone else's. Here's to future-scientific-break-throughs! Huzzah

thanksgiving, turkies gone tasty!!!

2007-11-29T03:11:31Z

I had my first American Thanksgiving! I went to McKenna's house on Long Island. It was awesome. This holiday is dedicated entirely to eating a lot. And, like, that's the funny thing. You can just say "I ate so much!" in response to the inevitable barrage of "How was your thanksgiving?" questions, and its funny. Even Barack Obama can do it. That muslim guy running for president. As if this reply is not only a huge acheivement but also a hilarious joke. OK, whatever, I can eat loads, there's no necessary religious stuff, and its also funny. I love this holiday! I'm taking it back to England.

I was woken early, and we snuggled up on the sofa with hot chocolate that her dad made us (with cool whip in it! this is the best stuff ever! similar to whipped cream, but better) and watched the Macy's Day Parade. Macy's is a big department store, and the parade is a bunch of floats and huge balloons of various characters floating above the crowd, pulled on strings (e.g. Shrek, Dora the Explorer, Kermit... there's all various Sesame Street and Disney characters), and there's competing marching bands from various universities, with gymnasts and stick twirlers and dancers, and also there are floats showing a scene from a Broadway musical. So there was one from Hairspray: The Musical, and one from Legally Blonde: The Musical, and one from Young Frankenstein: The Movie (I'm sensing a trend here...) and from Xanadu and stuff... sometimes there are really corporate floats like the Pilsbury float and the Barbie float (apparently she has a new movie out, another hideous CGI monstrosity), but they're generally directed toward kids. Sometimes a float will randomly have a pop singer doing an act on the front. Probably sponsored by whoever the float belongs too. Here's a video I got from Youtube. It isn't mine, I saw the whole thing on TV, where the view was best. Their oldest float was a giant turkey being ridden by Pilgrims, which I found pretty funny. And the last float is always Santa, on his sleigh.

Then the food got going. Mckenna's grandparents came and some close family friends. We drank champagne! And ate orderves. I can't be bothered to spell that properly. This is sister Bridgette, Kaitlyn and me saying high to their dog, Sonny.

I'm wearing Bridgette's fluffy pink slippers. They are awesome, and remind me of Vince Noir's moonboots in the Tundra episode of the TV show The Mighty Boosh (all Americans take heed; you must see this show).

And drinking champers.

Our refined wine-travelled noses tell us this fruity bouquet is top-notch!

Mckenna's family are super nice and I had a great time, so a big thank you to them from the very darkest lower recesses of my somewhat dingy heart, and also of my family's, who are equally grateful, and extend a hearty welcome if ever any of you are in England.

That night I met Jessy, Mckenna's fabulous friend and next-door neighbour. How lucky is she to have one of these living next door??? I am green with jealousy. That's how my hair got like that. We took silly pictures!

We ate noodles!

We did henna tattoos!

The next day we went to New York! We ate pretzels!

We went ice-skating at the Rockerfella center!

I wore about 6 different layers to keep warm. So I look pretty substantial in this picture. I feel like a friendly green-haired giant, much like the one who guards the peas.

We walked and drove around and looked at lots of things. We went to F.A.O. Schwarz which is the toy shop they go to in BIG, that movie with Tom Hanks. They still have the floor keyboard you can jump on, which is pretty cool. They had really big stuffed toys. Dragons the size of dragons (one would imagine)!!! Polar bears the size of polar bears (I expect)!!! Pretty much like Hamley's I guess.

We went to the docks and saw the view across the water.

We saw Ground Zero. They are (prepare yourselves) going to build (drumroll) The Freedom Tower!!! LOL. Freedom fries. Freedom shakes. What was next, we asked ourselves??? And we were given the Freedom Tower! This city is so free its got freedom spurting from its air vents. Statue of Liberty, the Freedom Tower, wow. OK, enough mockery.

Um yeah, the next day me and Mckenna and Jessie went to a thrift store where I bought a beautiful black velvet dress, an elastic purple belt with knotted brass buckle, and some Napoleon Dynamite PJ trousers. I rule at thrifting! All for $5. The dress is too small but I got a green velvet dress from another thrift store ages ago and I'm just gonna put green stripes down either side of the black one and it will look kick-ass.

Then we went to the mall. man the malls are enourmous here! England can only dream of such massive malls. I even heard of one in Arizona where they have a river running through it, and a lake at the center. A mall with its own eco-system?!? They put sand on the side and ultra-violet lights, and people sunbathe on this man-made 'beach'. I got some trousers from H&M. McKenna's dad seemed a little put-out that we'd spent the whole day shopping instead of seeing the sights of long island, which I can kind've understand, but blah, I had fun! We ate Thai food and I saw this fishing shop called The Shark and I liked the sign in the window.

Then back at home we watched Fifth Element and made stuffed animals of our own. McKenna made this amazing rat creature (called Stitchy) from scratch, with no patterns or anything! What a skillful lady. I made a green fluffy bat called Snitch, because the head was added last and it looked like the Harry Potter Snitch before I'd finished. They have button eyes.

The next day I got the bus. It took 4 hours to get back, which was boring. It had taken 4 hours to get there too, but that time Mckenna was on my bus. The way back, we were on different busses :( But I just looked out of the window and imagined stuff, and read some of The Omega Game, which I borrowed from Mrs McKenna (Lucille).

All in all, best Thanksgiving ever, and all future Thanksgivings will struggle to compare. Hurray!

thanksgiving, brownies, red lobster, frank turner

2007-11-19T01:49:24Z

I didn't really do anything this weekend.

I went to this free thanksgiving meal, because it was started by my friendship family, but i left before they got all Christian on my ass and walked all 3 miles to Red Lobster, down the road, because it was Elliott's birthday meal. I ate and ran. Should I feel bad? Meh.

The next day I bought ingredients to make brownies with. I want to make some for people. I want to give some to McKenna who asked me back to her's for Thanksgiving. Hurray! Its awesome because I don't have Break-housing at the Campus so I would've had to lie about in the snow for 4 days if she hadn't asked me. She lives in Long Island so we're gonna watch the Thanksgiving parade and go ice-skating in Central Park (that has been a dream of mine for SO LONG!!!). I also want to give some to Elliott because I'm always taking things from him, like headache pills and cereal, and I think he's getting pissed off.

Then today I've been working and doing essays.

Last weekend was good though. Frabk Turner played at Binghamton! He's an acoustic punk rock type singer guy, and he was awesome. James got him to come to the uni. James played some songs with his guitar, then his friend James played songs on his guitar, then these two guys played their guitars (Can't remember their names, but they were 2 people from the band A Wrench In The Spokes), and then Frank played. Then we got drunk and hung out with Frank! He's like famous and we were just drinking in a campus apartment! Awesome.

Elliott, ?, ?, Will, Frank, Gordon, Scott, me!

Gunpowder Treason and Pot

2007-11-06T03:59:03Z

I went to the Great Pot Debate (Heads Vs Feds). The Editor-in-Chief of High Times (Steve someone) debated against some anti-drugs police guy (Bob someone). It was interesting but not particularly informative.

Then I went to burn effigies on the bonfire for Guy Fawkes Night. They only know about it from V for Vendetta. Happy 5th November!

GWAR

2007-11-05T06:10:48Z

I died my hair green. I went to see Horse The Band and Gwar.

This is my hair (me and Mckenna were messing about in the art room):

This is Gwar:

This is what Gwar do to their crowd:

There's some Gwar characters:

Gwar are a weird metal band that dress up in costumes as goblins and orcs and stuff, and they live in hell, the story goes, and the the show goes like this; every song has a character that they kill or maim and that character then bleeds red blue or green liquid onto the crowd. There was bush, who had his head chopped off and spurted red from his neck. There was a junkie whose arms were cut off and spurted green onto the crowd. I don't think I can really say much more, my Granny reads this. The figures that are killed/maimed are usually political, entertainment or authority figures (the pope, a policeman, Osama, Hitler, Bam Magera, etc), and the show is generally so ridiculous its funny. They're not evil, just kind've comical. In a shocking way. Just silly really. I found most of it pretty funny and ridiculous. I was mildly offended by some of it, but I just said, hey, its part of the act.

I had two black Xs written onto my hands when I entered! This is to show I'm under 21 and can't drink. The over 21s get a green wristband. There are punk kids that decided they don't drink (or smoke, or do drugs, etc) called Straight Edge kids who tattoo black Xs on their hands. This links back to the 'black X can't drink' hardcore punk shows. I knew this and had heard about it, but it had never happened to me in England, so I was kind've excited to have them - such a cliche! I wasn't interested in drinking anyway, I drank on Saturday night and felt a bit ill. I have major indigestion. You know, that acidic feeling in your throat. What can I do to get rid of that... milk?

That's so hardcore

2007-10-29T20:33:11Z

I miss everyone so much! I find myself missing very strange things too, things I didn't think I was all that bothered about, such as Neighbors, Eastenders, fish and chips, big pub glasses, charity shops, little windy roads, sandwich toasters and squash juice like Ribena.

I have a cold just developing! But I saw an advert for this stick that you stick up your nose and your cold goes away magically. Loads of people say it really works, I will have to get one. Can't remember what its called. There are loads of drug adverts on the television, its really weird. Like, "ask your doctor to prescribe you this amazing wonder-drug!" Then it mentions the dangerous side-affects really quickly. "Maycauseliverproblemsanddeath."

I've met some really nice people out here! Sorry to say it, but the majority of Americans are generic idiots, but that just makes the clever and interesting people extra special. Ryan takes me to hardcore shows, McKenna paints pumpkins with me and has invited me to her house for thanksgiving, I paint tshirts with neon paint and go to electro shows with Anthony, make korean food with Lamarr, talk about Britishness and Spanishness with Matthew, and Jewishness with Paz, watching Star Trek with James, and then there are the people I see who are just awesome, and not tied to specific activities, such as Sam, Craig, Rose (we've had quite a few relationship talks!), Nita, Kyle (went to lots of parties with him!), Charlotte, Gordon and Hannah (saw a football match with them recently!). However, these guys will never replace you guys and I miss you loads! Promise!

Been working loads this week, and I'm very pleased with my essays, but I found time to dye my hair green too! It is awesome and bright! I figure, I don't want to get a job while I'm out here, so I may as well do what I want. Jobs don't pay well here, like $7 an hour, that's like 3.50! Bollocks! Although my loan has still not arrived so maybe I will start having to think about maybe getting a job (groan).

Last weekend I went to a Halloween party as a zombie cheerleader, with green hair, and pom-poms, and a cheerleader dress I got of eBay for $35 (£17), and cool make up! I had like a grey face and black around my eyes and cheekbones and mouth, and blood dripping from my mouth, what with all the brains I'd eaten. I had to improvise with the makeup, using white foundation, black eye shadow and red lipstick, as I am so amazingly POOR at the moment.

On Saturday I did some more work, and on Sunday I went to Philadelphia with Ryan and friends to see another hardcore gig, featuring the amazing FloorPunch! It was their first gig in nine years. It was very exciting. Also playing were Cold World, Have Heart, Bitter End, Let Down and Blacklisted. Bitter End were good. I got caught in the mosh, and received a black lip, but its all in the name of hardcore! The swelling has gone down and it doesn't hurt today. After we got back to Binghamton we went to this great supermarket called Wegman's, which is really nice. I'm so glad it exists. I'm so glad I can buy food that isn't from Walmart, which is just aisle after aisle of junk food. They have healthy food at Wegman's, so I stocked up. I need to eat my own food more to save money as there is very little money left on my meal card. I'm so glad I got the cheapest meal plan, they really rip you off. I have the cheapest accommodation too, and its way better than the expensive ones, where the rooms are tiny. We may not have lifts or fancy living rooms or new furniture or proper heating or weekly cleaners, but we have spirit! Actually we just have bigger rooms. And there's more activities, but I hardly go to them anyway. I kind've wish there was a lift; I live on the third floor. And I have to leave during holidays as I don't have break housing. But I'm going to McKenna's for Thanksgiving and home for Christmas, so that's good! I'll get to see the wonderful British people! Yay!

Latest activities

2007-10-12T16:59:05Z

Lots of stuff has been happening! I went to a hardcore gig. There, I met Ryen, who invited me to a hardcore festival in Syracuse. We went, it was good. Its nice to see so many people with dyed hair and tattoos, because there aren't many people like that at the University. Also, I went to Trivia night at Flashbacks. That's an old 60s themed bar. It was almost like going to a pub quiz. Yes, that is a jug of beer!!! :D

Hmm, what else... It was Rose's birthday so went went to the Olive Garden, an Italian themed chain restaurant.

Then it was Hal's birthday, so we went to Uno. There was a parade for some reason, so I went to watch the floats drive through the campus, throwing sweets. Charlotte was cheerleading in the parade. Um... There was an art festival in town, so I went to the city and had a look in the art galleries and drank their free wine. There was also lots of nonpermanent graffitti and pavement paintings. It was good.

I went to the hookah bar and had a go at the hookah. I think Hugo has one from Egypt?

I made and ate Korean food with my friends.

I bleached my hair again. I lost my BU ID card which means I can't eat at the dining halls until I buy a new one (curses!). Recently in class I watched The Maltese Falcon, and now I have to write a paper on it, only I'm not sure what to write. Any ideas? Ok, so, none of those activities were in order, it's just what I've been getting up to lately. Having fun, chilling out. Hope everyone's OK back in the UK!

Coz she's a dedicated follower of fashion... who unfortunately isn't black

2007-10-01T20:30:53Z

I found there was a fashion club! I'm gonna join, make clothes, and enter them in the fashion show! I'm so excited. Its gonna be awesome. Fashion is actually an industry I want to be in. Film isn't really. I wish I'd done a fashion degree. But maybe studying it, I would have gotten bored? I can't change now. I'm going to finish my degree, then maybe do some temping with clothes companies or magazines or whatever.

*...*

OK, so it turns out the fashion show is organised by the Black Student Society. I wondered why I was the only white girl there. And while two girls were talking about how I could help, the leader of it told me they "don't need any more help thanks". Well. Imagine there was a White Student Society fashion show and they told some black girl whose dream it was to design clothes she couldn't join in. Hmph. There aren't any other fashion shows in the school calender I can help out with. To be honest, I felt really crushed by the whole experience, and very upset. They were practising runway walking when I found the leader. I told her I wanted to make a dress for one of their themes. Its not like I'd even need to be part of it. Just wanted to make a dress. No one would see me, I didn't want to model for it. But I guess it isn't to be. This is all a bit of a dissapointment for me. I'm debating whether to just make the dress and get someone else to take it up there. I don't know if that would be overstepping some kind of barrier. Maybe I should just let the society do their fashion show and let it be.

All the leaves are brown, and the sky is grey

2007-09-29T18:05:46Z

Autemn has arrived! It came yesterday. I'm very good at pinpointing seasons, and yesterday, the air was that little bit chiller, the leaves were that little bit multi-coloured-ier, and the smell of Autemn was in the air. Or, should I say, Fall. (No I shouldn't. That's stupid. Why's it called that, because the leaves 'fall'? No. Its Autemn, all the way.)

and now, in glorious technicolour

2007-09-27T19:00:24Z

I've just rented a laptop from the university. I'll have it for a week. I am therefore able to put up pictures. Go to the 'who put the bang' entry to see newly added pics of what I was talking about almost one month ago. I've been here like a month! Wait. Nearly like 6 weeks actually. Wow. OK so these are all a bit old but perhaps they'll be enjoyed nonetheless.

The scariest doll in the world, as found in Walmart for $4.

Thank you to everyone who made my trip possible, and who together provided me with this lovely fistful of dollars:

I think I really like paper money. In a country where an amount as low as 50p comes in note format, thats a good thing.

To become a true American, you must consume this breakfast of champions every day:

This was my room in Dickinson, before anyone had moved in

They gave me a really measly bedding packet of sheet and thin cotton blanket. I was freezing. At least my desk had a light.

Plus we get a lamp and a big closet.

As soon as I relaised all the other dorm rooms were unlocked I went about looking for the best furniture, and bagsied myself the biggest chests of drawers for my roomie and myself.

Then I had a nap as it was tiring moving that stuff around.

Then I went to Walmart and there was a storm and I thought the sky was a vortex we were going to be sucked into for our unethical capitalist ways.

Dramatic stuff! So yeah, now I can get pictures to this blog, feel free to ask to see stuff. Here's a picture of me and my friends during the International Student Orientation Dinner.

And this is us meeting the Binghamton bearcat. It was a very ot day. We asked if they paid the man in the suit (who must have been sweating his nuts off) enough. He shook his head in sad regret.

This is us sitting on the bleachers.

This is us drinking coffee outside.

This is us at a mexican restaurant

This is us at the Texas Roadhouse where we are joyously getting served alcohol.

This is us doing some more ilegal drinking at a frat party, which are by the way, the worst social constructs in the universe

this is us after drinking... probably drunk

And this is me leaving for class before I'm late. I have been your picture hostess for the blog entry. Goodbye, and good luck!

everything's cool and everything's smooth (hey that's smooth)

2007-09-25T20:37:28Z

i think everything is better now. im sorry if i sounded unhappy and have been worrying people. its just relationships and stuff, i shouldnt let them affect me so much. everythings cool. im gonna chill out, get better sleeping and eating patterns, hang out with friends. im feeling positive and secure. i enjoy my classes here so i should just concentrate on doing well. cant wait til i get my loan so i can buy a laptop and do work more and listen to music and stuff. that will help. i love finding new music. i dont think i will ever get depression because i have the ability to bounce back and the ability to reassure myself. i can say to myself, cheer up, it will be ok. i think thats important to have and im glad i have it. sometimes i think thats a bit of what religion is, it helps an individual to reassure themselves. i have xmas holidays from december 15th to january 27th, a long old time, and i wanna see everyone when im back. hope everyone is ok xxx

I'd rather be hated for what I am than loved for what I ain't

2007-09-05T20:26:13Z

Started classes! All good fun. More work to do, but generally easier.
Stuart is coming to visit! Very exciting. He's staying in a hotel just outside campus.
So much work to do! And no money to purchase laptop! V irritating.
Think my room-mate wasn't prepared for what she let herself in for. I am partying never-in dirty rotton stop-out room mate. She is good jewish girl hard studying pre-med type room-mate. Oh well. I study in library, where PCs are. Never see her. Think the girls on my foor don't like me, they ripped down my door's message board. Oh well, they are boring anyway. I have friends all over the place. Most people on my floor are 1st year boys, who are all basically idiots, but they're interested in me and my Englishness, and I think the other two girls are jealous. Paz is cool though.
Generally I am just surfing the wave of new-ness and enjoying the adventure. With little regard for others. *shrug*

Distraction: look! Free books!

2007-08-30T16:36:03Z

Hello everyone! I had my first class on Monday. I am the luckiest girl alive, all my classes are at 1pm. Most people I've talked to have at least one 8am, I am extremely smug. I got a mobile phone: (1607-727-7078). Feel free to call, but remember there's a 5 hour difference (UK is 5 hours ahead) and that it costs my money to receive calls, whereas if you call my room phone, it doesn't. However, I hope it puts some minds at ease knowing I can be contacted at any time. I'm still carrying round the rape alarm, and I'm waiting for the day it goes off accidentally in my bag and people think there's a bomb threat or something. To ease minds further, there are phones with blue lights all over campus that are 'emergency use' phones. To then shatter the illusion of safety I've set up, a girl got raped on campus last year, and there are a lot of anti-rape leaflets and posters lying around. So, now that we've explored that fun topic, I'm going to talk about classes, which are awesome.Oh, also, there was a student fair, with free books! Look how happy I am!

Chill. No YOU chill, B`&*% !!!

2007-08-24T20:44:27Z

My room-mate moved in, her name is Paz Zmora. She's Israeli/New Yorker. She's really nice! She lent me her extra quilt which was awesome coz I've been getting really cold. She wants to be the kind of doctor that helps kids with cancer. I can't remember the name for it. Pedo-cancer-tologist or something.

In other news, American banks are $%^&*g 3w98jkbd% vf4289y@#!!!! They charge you for everything. A dollar to have a print-out of your account activity, a dollar to remove money, a dollar to use one of their cheques, etc. It sucks. I'm with M&T, but they're all like that. They're really rude too. I asked one lady if she had a calculator so I could work out what money was in my account, she kept saying, "You're a college student, you can't do math?" I looked at her waiting for the calculator, not dignifying her stupid remark. She was not exactly helpful. She repeated it like 3 times so eventually I said, "I'm dysnumeric and I find your tone offensive. You work in a bank, you can't do math?" Ha. Everyone else I met here has been nice, she's the first. First meanie I've met in this country. Maybe I should have been all nice and cutesy but nuts to that, I'm not gonna act all subservient if she's gonna be rude. I asked her name, decided to write a complaint, she said her name was Chill. I thought, what's your last name, Out? Maybe she should! She wouldn't tell me her last name. What is it with people too scared to tell you their last name? She gave me some wrong information so I got back in line and said the whole thing again to another lady, who seemed polite but was very quiet and impossible to hear. Then out of nowhere good ole Chill comes over and says she's gonna call security because I'm holding up the line. I said "I'm trying to complete a transaction, you're a bank aren't you?" Chill needs to chill. Must've had some ants in her pants. OK I'm done ranting.

I just finished paying all the university fees. OUCH! $4822! Thanks to mum and dad for the fat stacks of cash. Now I'm all run out. Hope the student loans people pay up.

Went to a frat party last night. Some warehouse/high-rise apartment with greek letters all over the walls. It was all pretty watered down, I went with a bunch of us English kids and we weren't too impressed. Still fun though. Loophole: you can't drink on campus, but you can be drunk, as long as you aren't noisy. Awesome.

Right now I'm feeling a bit moody, fresh from the Chill battle. I'm gonna go to Dickinson and see if my meal plan works. I'm probably just hungry. Also, is UK 4 or 5 hours behind or ahead? I'm confused. Thanks.

xxx

Dickinson won

2007-08-20T01:54:02Z

I moved in to Dickinson! Its good! I like it! The rooms are actually pretty big. I get my own desk chair wardrobe chest of drawers. Its awesome.

Also, I couldn't hold back any longer, I got a Nintendo DS lite! Its way cheap over here. I got a game called Harvest Moon, its fun, you are a farmer and you have to grow crops and stuff. I'm gonna buy a laptop soon for $800. I found a good one on sale in an electronics store, Circuit City.

I went to a house party! They had red cups and played beer pong. Just like the movies!

I'm meeting people and having fun. All is well.

Again, all that strikes me is its all BIGGER. Polo mints are an inche not a cm, jelly beans the size of a thumb knuckle, and *yay!* they have lucky charms! You know that cereal with the leprechaun and its too sugary so they don't sell it in the UK anymore? I am gonna get so fat. You are gonna have a supersized Daisy when I come back. I've started to get a US accent a little bit. Its annoying but if I make it up people aren't always asking me where I'm from. Must be convincing :D

To share or not to share? That is the question.

2007-08-16T20:54:56Z

OK, so we have a choice. Help me out.

Hillside.
This is an apartment building with 4 people, they all have their own room but there's a shared kitchen, living room and bathroom. Its nice. Its $3000 for the year. Its set away from the campus, so I'd have to get the shuttle bus that runs down there every 20 minutes. All the students will be older, as they'll be 3rd years or whatever, so there will be alcohol but they'll already have their own friends. I can buy and cook my own food as I wish.

Dickenson.
Its cheap at a little less than $2100 but the rooms are small and I have to share with someone. Its right near all the buildings like the library and lecture theatre. I also have to purchase a Meal Plan at $1500 which will provide me with free food for the year, unless I eat lots and have to buy more. It could be cheaper and less hassle than buying and cooking my own food. Its more sociable and fun but could be harder to study. Students may be younger than me.

I'm moving in tomorrow. I'm probably going with Dickenson, I'll get used to living with someone. But let me know what you think.

Who put the bang in the bang a lang a ding dong? Who put the milk derivative in the powderd creamer?

2007-08-16T00:23:19Z

I went to the university to sort out admin stuff, pay fees fill out forms etc.

I didn't realise all the rooms were shared! Shock. I can't live without my own space! I am horrified. I am a creature of independance and like to cultivate a cosy shell of isolation whenever possible. I have to live in a room with some stuckup preppy american girl? I have to get changed in front of someone else, listen to their music, chat to them... without a break? What if I want to wander around my room naked, or play music she doesn't like, or cry, or fart, or relax with a good book, or pick my nose, (or any one of a number of things that I would normally enjoy alone)? This is horrific!

I tried to change to a different accomodation, only to find that THEY ARE ALL LIKE THAT. A whole university of nervous repressed americans. What in the name of Jimmy were they thinking???

When I got back to the hotel I got a message from the uni saying 'we can honour your request'. Sounds ominous, but I'm praying they're talking about sticking me in a room on my own. I'm fine with meeting new people and socialising and stuff but I really need my own space. Maybe they found an abandoned office somewhere in the underground union? This whole place seems a little empty. I guess it will pick up when everyone shows.

Also I found out how to take busses, where to take them from, and that they are free for students. Huzzah. Somehow I felt a little suspicious of the wild claims the taxi drivers were making ("Taxis are the only way people get around," "Taxi drivers starve when students go home" and "What bus?" were among my favourites).

If there is one thing to be noted here, America is supersized. In every aspect. The roads are wider, the shops are all supermarkets, even the mints are a big. I had a polo mint spanning, not the usual modest 2cm, but a whopping inch or so! I can't walk anywhere, and I can't be bothered to shell out for a taxi just to wander aimlessly round Walmart, so I'm staying put until I run out of supplies. The hotel breakfast was pretty darn spectacular, so I nicked some fruit and a bagel for later.

I'm going to see a film tonight with a girl I met on campus. Seems nice. Maybe we'll find some place to eat afterwards. There really aren't many students out here yet.

PS I tried to upload pictures from my digital camera but the USB plug said power overload. Must be different voltage. Ma have to find a camera out here. In the meantime you will have to imagine pictures of me half asleep in the car travelling to Gatwick airport.

Me half asleep waiting in airports for planes. Me and that Sam weirdo I met on my flight eating soup. Me looking aghast at the sprawling concrete mass of the university.

Me in my overly spacious hotel room.

Me looking horrified at the revolting coffee I made using the filter in my hotel room (why do include a 'sugar substitute' when they put so much crap in the 'creamer' which is basically just chemicals in powder form? Among other things the packet mentioned a substance which was a derivative of milk. Why not just include milk???).

Oh wait, I just made the pictures work. 25/9/07

PSS You can make comments! Its free, you don't have to join. You can even make them anonimously. Sleuth-like!

Operation DaisyUSA commenced: the Daisy has landed!

2007-08-15T15:25:05Z

Salutations from America!

I feel like I might have been awake for 24 hrs yesterday, I'm not sure, I'm not set with times yet.

Yesterday I got a flight from Gatwick to JFK New York, and then to Binghamton.

My Bing flight got delayed from 6.25 to 9.27, I was not a happy bunny! However, I got to Bing and got a taxi to the hotel and slept and EVEN woke up in time for breakfast. Aren't you proud of me?!? They have a waffle machine here! OMG! And right now its 11am and they haven't closed the breakfast room. I love them.

My room is huge! The bed would be spacious for three people, I just curl up on the left. Last night in the taxi I was so exhausted that I got a little worried about what I was getting myself into, but I reasoned I'd be fine in the morning and I was just tired, and I feel great now so I guess that was it. People seem to think I'm very brave/nuts coming here by myself, but I've been fine so far.

People are very friendly (suspiciously so!). I met a guy called Sam, a born&bred NewYorker, on the 8hr flight to JFK (well I was sitting next to him). He told me about his travels in the UK and bought me soup and coffee when we landed. I was a bit cautious and like, why is he being nice, be careful, but I think they're just fascinated by my Englishness. Then I met a woman called Yolanda who was crocheting in JFK airport waiting for the Delta, she was nice too. Then I met a guy from Arizona with a cowboy accent on the Delta flight called Jack, he showed me pictures of the river he lived next to and his speedboat and waterskis back home. He and his sons go water-skiing every day! He said he wanted to get a cannoe and I was talking how dad had one. Then the guy in the taxi, Vaughn, was really friendly, he gave me a tour round the town and showed me everything, and we drove round the campus.

It seems to be as big as my uni back home, just much more spread out. In fact, I bet Bing is as big as Norwich, its just more spread out. They have more space, so they can afford to have wide roads, huge car-parks, etc. There are no little shops or restaurants, everything is a superstore or a huge chain eatery. In the foodstuffs, they only list the good stuff, they don't mention preservatives or e numbers. So butter is: cream, salt. Dodgy!

Now I'm going to get a taxi to the uni to see what's going on and what I need to do. I'm sure there will be fees to pay and forms to fill in, that is, if anybody is there. Wish me luck!

(pictures will be added later x)